Remember me? (gxg)

Prologue

Sometimes, death is not what it appears to be. It's not dark. It doesn't come in form of a frightening shadow that instantly and unfairly yanks you away from everything you love.

No. Sometimes, though rarely, when one is lucky, death comes in form of a familiar face and just as rarely, it's a welcomed relief. Its cruel nature as portrayed by the grieving is in actual sense... kind. Death comes in form of a savior who represents an end and sometimes, though still rarely, a beginning.

In this particular case however, there was no sign of a new beginning for Allison Dupree. This was the end of a short, sad, miserable and lonely life.

She knew she surprised death by welcoming it with a smile but death, as she was going to learn, was not always so compassionate.

"Aren't you going to try and run?"

Why bother? Every time she tried he always found her.

"No, not this time," she said as she hopelessly tossed her arms aside.

The dark furious sea resembled the flames of hell awaiting a feast.

"Beautiful, rebellious, Allie. I never thought it would end this way," Shawn said.

"Yeah, I always hoped you'd die first but as you can see, luck has never been on my side."

He scratched the back of his head with one hand while the other one aimed a gun at her. "I've always berated myself for never having succeeded in taming that tongue of yours. I guess it is true what they say, the end does justify the means."

"Are you going to pull the trigger or talk me to death?" She hated the waiting and wished he'd just end it. Death was going to offer her the solace and the liberation she so desperately sought after.

The luxurious yacht rocked to the strong forces of the waves that told of a gathering storm. It was in the dark of the night and they were both standing near the hull of the yacht with stormy clouds, angry waves and an amassing rain.

She could see the impatience and anger on Shawn's aging face. She'd always resented her deceased father for having forced her to marry him in an attempt to save her from herself.

Duncan Davidson, her father, had been her only surviving relative. Shawn had been his best friend. Fate had a crooked sense of humor.

Some might have said that at twenty five she was too young to die but her husband who was thirty years her senior, didn't think so as he waved the gun from side to side in what appeared to be indecision.

She'd been married to him for five years and that period of time felt like a lifetime because of the misery, the abuse and the humiliation she'd endured at his mercy.

The yacht rocked again, knocking Allison against the hull and Shawn tightened his grip on the railing as it continued to rain down hard on them.

"I knew you were a lot of things, Shawn, but I never pegged you for a murderer. If you don't end it here, I swear I'll spend what's left of my life trying to put you behind bars."

At the threat, he barked his henchman's name and a large man with snow white hair and an unsightly scar over his forehead joined them.

His name was Owen and he had been her bodyguard. She'd always thought he resembled a gladiator, what with his mass body size and unwavering stance but at that moment, none of those thoughts crossed her mind.

She was thinking about how surprisingly clear everything became when death was so near. She'd known Shawn all her life and until the moment she'd witnessed him taking another man's life, she'd never thought he was capable of murder.

What reason would he have to kill? He had everything. Duncan had left Allison his entire fortune, which Shawn had immediately taken control of. Allison had never questioned his business dealings until she'd seen him take a man's life.

The dead man had been confronting Shawn. The conversation had been vague so Allison was unaware of Shawn's reasons for killing him. When he'd found out Allison had been standing outside the room and had witnessed the murder, she'd known what he was going to do.

They were in the middle of nowhere and unless she could walk on water, running was not an option. With the storm, the waves and the engulfing darkness, she would drown if she attempted to jump into the sea.

"Shoot her and dump her body in the sea," he barked his orders then gave her one long menacing look before he turned and briskly headed back inside.

Owen aimed the gun at her and Allison closed her eyes and prepared herself. A thunderous noise bellowed from the hostile sky and a bolt of lightening sparked to life, creating rioting waves as the storm grew in both force and velocity.

Allison thought it was ironic how dramatic death could be, even for a person who welcomed it.

The waves knocked the yacht off its course the same time a loud boisterous sound of a gun releasing a raging bullet deafened her ears and instantly tore through her flesh.

The surprising intensity of the bullet had her staggering back and before she knew it, she was falling overboard, watching Owen struggle to maintain his balance.

She came to learn that the one thing that is true about death is that, your entire life does flash before your eyes and that feeling of emptiness is suddenly gone, replaced by childhood laughter and happy memories, making you complete as you embrace your fateful demise.